Unmasking the mascot: Blue

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – On the field, the focus is on the Indianapolis Colts players, but in the stands of Lucas Oil Stadium, the attention is on Blue, the Colts’ mascot.

Blue is a 14 year veteran on the Colts, so he knows a thing or two about masks, something contestants on FOX59’s Masked Singer are just learning to navigate.

Nearly everyone knows Blue, but unlike these contestants, he doesn’t often reveal the man behind the mask.

FOX59’s Beairshelle Edmé is unmasking the mascot, and introducing Indiana to the person underneath the costume.

“I just did it because I thought it looked fun,” said Trey Mock, known to the world as Blue.

The 38-year-old Hamilton County husband and father of two has been the man behind Blue for more than a decade.

“I literally sketched him out on a piece of paper, flew out to a production company, dyed the fur, shaved the head the way I wanted it to be, picked out the blowers that come out of Blue’s nostrils and put it together, and came back and said here we go,” Mock described how Blue came to life back in 2006.

Well before Blue, Mock had been playing a larger than life character in college at Auburn University.

“I wanted to be an architect my entire life,” he said. “Got to school and fell in love with their mascot, Aubie so I tried out my sophomore year.”

What started as fun, quickly launched into a career & even into a romance.

Mock met his wife in 2006 during an overseas NFL trip for a military performance. She was a Colts cheerleader, he the mascot.

A year after the Colts’ Super Bowl appearance in 2007 the two wed.

“If not for this platform, not for Blue, I wouldn’t have met my wife and we wouldn’t have two kids that are far better performers than I am by the way,” the proud husband and father gushed.

Over the years, Blue’s time on the field has evolved too, and it’s included a few injuries too leading to 4 surgeries over the years.

“I mean my body hurts and there’s a lot of days where I wake up and I’m like I don’t know if I can do this, but when I get in costume and I get to be in front of people and see their reaction and the joy that the character brings to them – it make sit all worth it,” he exclaimed!

To keep things fresh, Mock’s had to innovate and bring new comedy to his fans.

“I started doing these things and they started just catching fire,” the mastermind behind Blue explained.

One of those things is Trick Shot, inspired by Dude Perfect. Blue attempts making near impossible shots going all sorts of lengths, from shooting a ball from a firefighting crane to using one truck to drive and shoot a ball into another.

“I think third try is the closest I’ve ever done, and then on the opposite end, I think it’s taken me maybe like two days to get something – like two hours here and two hours there,” he described.

Fans love watching the show Blue puts on, and Mock tells Edmé the mascot is a platform, one built up in a stadium.

But Mock says some of his best shows are in schools.

One of those shows launched when he thought, “…wouldn’t it be cool if we could come into a school and I could take off my mask and break the biggest mascot rule, but to then encourage students to stop hiding behind their masks.”

Blue does unmask and Mock talks about a nationwide issue.

“I was actually bullied growing up so I know how that feels,” the 38-year-old said.

These school presentations called “Choose Love” are part of the show most fans don’t see, but Mock says the 40 shows are some of Blue’s most important events.

“I always say if we do a 1,000 school shows and we find one student that we make an impact with- that can better their life or better someone else’s life, hen all 1,000 shows were successful because we found that one person,” explained Mock, who says he’s had students discuss some of their deepest fears and darkest moments, including even suicidal thoughts.

By unmasking Blue for this FOX59 interview, Indiana learns more about the man behind the mask, something Mock says is important.

“I know that I don’t have the talents to be a professional athlete, but I have the talents to make an impact in someone’s life,” he said. “If we all strive to do that, I think we can honestly change the world.”

You can watch Blue tomorrow on FOX59 for Thursday Night Football’s game with the Colts vs. Texans.